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5.11.2014

The One Feature That Makes The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite Worth Every Penny

The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite.

"Cheap minivan" has become something of an oxymoron. You're talking more than $25,000 to start for the base model of anything other than a Dodge Grand Caravan, a long-in-the-tooth design that can be had for the bargain-basement price of $20,595.

$28,825 (plus destination and handling) is what it takes to even say hello to the lowest of the five Honda Odyssey trim levels, the LX. Leaping to the other end of the spectrum and getting a minivan with all the bells and whistles...the new-millenium equivalent of a loaded Country Squire...that's more. A lot more.

The base price of the 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite is...

2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite.

$44,450.

Yes, that's a chunk. But it's also (as minivans go) a very nice ride. The 3.5-liter V6 with a six-speed automatic transmission has more than adequate power. Fuel economy is decent at 19 city/28 highway.

And when you just leapfrog over the four lower trims and go for the Touring Elite, you eliminate any issues over what options to take or leave. Honda, like an ancient mystic, will simply make you one with everything.

My kids are grown, but I gotta tell you, 15 years ago, HondaVac alone would have swung the deal for me. Cheerios, french fries, popcorn, sand..... What took them so long?

Bottom line: If you're going to do a minivan and have the means to do it right, this is one of two you should be looking at. The other is the Toyota Sienna...and there's a fresh review of a 2014 Sienna coming in this space very soon.